You Haven't Seen the Last Of Me
by lovemondotrasho
Summary: Kenshin leaves to help the government capture a man who had evaded their best men. He's forced to leave Kaoru, but he promises he'll always love her and that he'll return to her. When he does, he finds that another man has replaced him. What will become of Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship?
1. The Man Who Took His Place

**Alright guys, this is my first Rurouni Kenshin fic so be gentle. This fic is dedicated to loveless an the living fantasy who finally got me off my lazy ass long enough for me to write this. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. **

* * *

Kenshin stroked the young woman's navy blue hair. She had been sniffling in his chest for the last ten minutes. "Alright, Miss Kaoru. It won't do for you to cry. That it won't."

The woman lifted her tear stained face and wiped her eyes. She choked a couple tears back and attempted to talk to him. "Can't someone else go?"

He gave her a sad smile. "Not everyone was once Battousai the Manslayer. The government wants this man to be caught. He's evaded every one of their best men." He noticed the look on her face and cradled her face in his hands. "Listen to me, Miss Kaoru. I'll return to you. I promise."

She angrily grabbed the front of his purple haori and shook it. "Kaoru! Stop with the formalities and call me Kaoru!"

He laughed at her sudden anger. "Don't let your anger get the best of you while I'm gone," he said softly. He got up and straightened his wrinkled haori. He smiled down at Kaoru and knelt down, taking her chin. "Tears don't suit you…Kaoru." She turned away from him when he'd finally used her first name without honourifics. "Always remember that you're not alone. You've got Yahiko, Sanosuke, Miss Megumi, Ayame and Suzume."

She shook her head, making her navy blue ponytail whip the air. "But YOU won't be there with me."

He brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Kaoru, you know that I love you. I will always find a way back to you. That I shall."

"Kenshin," she murmured.

"Kaoru Kamiya, I vow to always think of you when I'm gone. I will love you every day that I am gone," he promised.

She threw her arms around his neck and cried into his chest again. She was conflicted. She liked that Kenshin was confessing to her and saying that he'd always loved her, but not at the price of him leaving indefinitely. Kenshin brought her chin closer to him and silenced her with a kiss. It was a brief, chaste kiss. She was sniffling when he pulled away. He wiped her tears with his thumb and gave her a stern look. "No more tears, Kaoru. I want to remember you smiling."

She nodded and attempted to stop crying. Her lips curved upward unwillingly, making him smile softly at her. He kissed her forehead and pulled her into his arms. He wrapped his arms protectively around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "It's indefinite, but it's not forever," he whispered.

He straightened and glanced at the rolling mountains behind him. "I really must be going, Kaoru."

"Kenshin!" screamed several voices.

He turned around and saw three figures running toward him. One of them was shorter than the other two. The figure in the middle had spiky hair that jutted upward. The last figure had long black hair that fanned out behind her as she ran. He smiled at the sight of his friends. "Yahiko. Sanosuke. Miss Megumi-"

Yahiko clung to his purple haori and refused to let go. He buried his face in it. "Why do you have to go Kenshin? Why?"

"Kenshin, you didn't think that we'd let you leave without saying goodbye now, did you?" asked Sanosuke. His amber eyes twinkled at the former manslayer.

He nervously laughed. "Well, I can't say that I really expected you all to come to me. That I didn't."

Megumi swept her black bangs out of her eyes and threw her arms around Kenshin. He felt a familiar blush creeping onto his cheeks. "Miss Megumi," he hissed.

Kaoru angrily glanced at Megumi hugging Kenshin. _I'm the only one that can do that! _

Yahiko snickered next to Sanosuke. "Look, Ugly's getting pretty angry." His laughter was short lived, for Kaoru had shoved her fist into his face, immediately silencing him. She gained a dirty look from him before he used Sanosuke as a shield.

"Sir Ken! Please stay safe while you're away," said Megumi. "Stay safe for us." She heard Kaoru made a hm-ing noise behind her and sighed. "And for your sweaty little girlfriend."

Kaoru shoved her sleeve up, intending to demonstrate the Kamiya Kasshin style on Megumi but Sanosuke held her back. "It's not worth it, Kaoru," he said monotonously. _The number of times I've had to do this…_ "Besides, you know Kenshin loves you and no one else."

Kenshin pried Megumi's arms off of him. Everyone noticed the light blush that was dusting his cheeks. "I will stay safe," he promised. "That I will. Kaoru will have my head if I don't," he joked lightly.

Ayame and Suzume toddled over to Kenshin and grabbed his hakamas. "Where're you going, Ken-nii?" asked Ayame.

"Uncle Ken!" chirped Suzume.

He ruffled both girls' hair, laughing. "Uncle Ken has some things to do. That he does. He'll be back soon." He looked around at all of the faces. These were his friends. His family. It broke his heart to have to leave them, and the fact that his return was indefinite. Ayame and Suzume might be young women by the time he came back. Yahiko might be one of the dojo's instructors. Sanosuke and Megumi might be married. And Kaoru. What would become of her while he was gone? Pushing all of his thoughts away, he smiled and hugged both girls. "Goodbye Ayame. Goodbye Suzume."

"Don't go!" they both cried.

He closed his eyes at the girls' shrieks. _No. It must be done. _He straightened up and curtly nodded at everyone. Kaoru tried to hold her tears in while Yahiko attempted to put on a brave face. Megumi's eyes were glittering with tears as she waved goodbye. Sanosuke picked Suzume up and waved to Kenshin as he walked toward the mountains. Kenshin gripped the hilt of his reverse blade sword. _Let me return to Kaoru soon._

* * *

Three years later…

A young man was wandering around Japan. He was wearing a faded, wine coloured haori paired with white hakamas. The man had an x-shaped scar on his left cheek. His violet eyes were full of sleep, but he seemed intent on trying to get to his destination. His sword was bouncing against his waist as he made his way to an old dojo. He stopped in front of the entrance and smiled to himself. "I'm coming Kaoru," he whispered.

* * *

Ayame was picking flowers with her younger sister, Suzume. She'd grown a couple inches since Kenshin left. Her hair was now waist length and in a low pony tail. Suzume had retired her pigtails in favour of a ponytail that was similar to her sister's. She preferred to keep her short, choppy brown locks loose, but it was so hot outside today! She threw it into a high ponytail, with Ayame's help of course.

Ayame was picking a blue daisy when she saw an auburn haired stranger make their way toward them. She instinctively grabbed the basket, prepared the yank Suzume's hand and make a run for it, but something about the stranger looked familiar to her. She squinted, observing the choice of clothes on the man. Simple, but not what struck her as familiar. It was the man's vibrant hair. Something about it seemed right to her. Then it hit her. Once she saw the x-shaped scar, she knew exactly who it was. She dropped her basket and ran toward the man.

"Ken-nii!" she shouted.

Kenshin's classic "derp" look graced his face when the girl knocked the wind out of him. "A-Ayame? You've grown so much. That you have."

Ayame pulled away from him and turned around. Suzume shyly stood by the entrance to the dojo. Ayame motioned her to come closer. "Zume, it's your Uncle Ken!" she said happily.

The little girl stared at Kenshin in disbelief. "Uncle. Ken?"

"Suzume?" he asked incredulously. "My, you two grew while I was gone!" he said laughing. "Suzume was just five years old when I left."

"So much has changed since you left, Ken-nii," said Ayame breathlessly. "But there are things that haven't changed too. Like how Sanosuke-kun acts like the big brother. And how Megumi-chan is still here, taking care of people." She giggled a little. "Yahiko-kun still makes fun of Kaoru-chan."

Kenshin's ears perked up at Kaoru's name. Hearing her name was like sweet music to his ears. He hadn't heard someone else say that name for a long time. The only time he heard it, was when he whispered it to himself before he went to sleep. He'd envisioned her long navy blue hair swishing through the air in his dreams. He would always dream of her reaction to his return. Seeing the twinkle in her eyes, the smile on her lips, the sound of her voice. They were all he thought of when he was out helping the government. They were the only thing that kept him sane during those three years. Now that he was standing in front of the dojo's doors, everything became surreal for him.

He pushed the doors open and nostalgia began to wash over him. He smiled as he remembered the times that Kaoru would chase Yahiko around for calling her "ugly." He laughed a little. Kaoru was far from ugly. He caught sight of two figures in one of the rooms. One of them was rather short and had spiky hair. The other figure had spiky hair as well, but this figure was considerably taller. _Those two figures must be Yahiko and Sano. _He pushed the doors open and confirmed his suspicions. He leaned against the wall and watched them. They seemed to be sparring.

Yahiko gripped his shinai, preparing to strike. Sanosuke swung his zanbato over his shoulder and grinned at him. "You know, Kaoru's going to kill us for fighting in here."

Yahiko sliced the air with his shinai, narrowly missing Sanosuke's right leg. He grinned back. "It's fun teasing Ugly. Besides, fighting outside's no fun anymore. I'd fight outside if there was a chance Kenshin was walking up the path."

"You should have been fighting outside ten minutes ago. That you should," Kenshin said quietly. He smiled when he saw Yahiko drop his shinai and race toward him. Sanosuke looked like he'd never seen a happier sight. He leaned his zanbato against the wall and made his way over to the wanderer.

"KENSHIN!" shouted Yahiko, gripping the wine coloured haori. "You're back!"

"Easy, kid," said Sanosuke laughing. He pried the boy off of Kenshin. "He's only been here for about ten minutes and you're already trying to smother him to death. How've you been, Kenshin?"

"Homesick," he said laughing. "Yahiko, you've gotten much better with your accuracy since the last time I saw you."

He crossed his arms and cheekily grinned. "Kaoru's been teaching me a lot more since you left. When she's not chasing me for calling her ugly."

Kenshin gave him a stern but playful look. "You shouldn't call her names. And speaking of Kaoru, where is she?" Yahiko and Sanosuke exchanged dark looks that didn't go unnoticed by Kenshin. "What's wrong? Is Kaoru OK?"

Thoughts were running loose in the wanderer's mind. _Was Kaoru OK? Is she hurt? Is she sick?_ He was literally giving himself a headache from all of the different scenarios involving Kaoru. He anxiously glanced at Sanosuke and Yahiko for an answer.

They both nervously turned to the ceiling, refusing to meet his eyes. "Kaoru's OK," said Sanosuke. "She's perfectly fine. Her cooking still tastes terrible, though."

Kenshin laughed. "I like Kaoru's cooking. But do you know where she is?"

Suddenly all three men heard two voices echoing down the hall. A man and a woman's voice. The voices seemed to be drawing closer and closer to the room.

"Arata, stop!" giggled Kaoru. She attempted to push the raven haired man off of her, but allowed him one last kiss on the cheek. She stopped short when she saw who was in the room. "K-K-Kenshin?"

Kenshin's heart stopped at the sight. He eyed the man's arm around Kaoru's waist and the love in his eyes. Was this real? Or was this a terrible nightmare? He snapped his eyes shut and opened them again. This was a reality. A terrible one at that. He tried to keep his emotions in check, not wanting to look like a fool in front of the man. He put on his best fake smile. "Oh, Miss Kaoru. Who's your…friend?"

Her heart broke for him. He looked so upset and angry, but he wasn't going to show it in front of Arata. He nervously glanced at Yahiko and Sanosuke as if he was asking why they hadn't warned him before. She nervously bit her lip and brushed her guilt off. "This is Arata Kurosawa. We're seeing each other," she added softly.

She could've sworn she saw his eyes change from his normal sweet violet, to a violent gold. But it was for a split second. He smiled and offered his hand to Arata. "Nice to meet you Kurosawa san. I'm Kenshin Himura."

Arata didn't know what to make of it. _Was this man a friend of Kaoru's? Wait, what this the famous Kenshin that everyone talked about?_ He shook his hand and smiled back. "The pleasure's all mine."

Kenshin drew his hand back and refused to look at Kaoru. He kept his gaze fixed on the ground, and tried to hold his tears back. "Is Miss Megumi here? I haven't said hello to her yet." He walked out before anyone could answer. He turned and walked out of the dojo as fast as he could.

Yahiko threw Kaoru a look of disgust before following Kenshin. She turned to Sanosuke, hoping that he'd see her point of view on this. He turned away and silently grabbed his zanbato, also following Yahiko and Kenshin. She dropped her gaze to the ground, feeling ashamed of herself. Three years. That's all it took for her to forget Kenshin's words and her own promise.

Arata took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Are you feeling OK, Kaoru?"

She was trying to stomach the guilt she was feeling. "Yeah. I'm fine," she lied. "Absolutely fine."

* * *

**And the death threats start. lol. I feel so bad for making Kenshin suffer. Kaoru, how could you do this to our sweet Kenshin? **

**Anyway, read and review. I'll prolly be back with this tomorrow. I wanted to see it go up today, so I didn't go over it as much as I would've liked to. Bear with me if you see any mistakes. **

**Til the next chapter!**

**~lovemondotrasho**


	2. Enter Yoko Onizuka, the Voice of Reason

**A new chapter! :D Thanks to loveless an the living fantasy, Jester's Pet Oriole and J Luc Pitard for reviewing the last chapter!**

****Megumi will make her appearance in this chapter so be prepared for some Kaoru bashing****

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

*****This chapter was slightly edited. **

* * *

Kenshin ran out of the dojo as fast as he could. He leaned in front of the entrance and tried to keep his emotions in check. He was feeling so many different emotions. He was mostly sad and angry. He'd spent three years away from her. Didn't she have any idea what that was like? He sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands. "Kaoru," he whispered.

* * *

Megumi was finishing up on her last patient of the day. Once she'd seen him off, she decided to visit Sanosuke and Yahiko at the dojo. She was just about to leave when she decided to whip up a batch of pastries for Ayame and Suzume. Her thoughts drifted over to Kaoru and she scowled at the mixing bowl in her hands.

She had no desire to be sweet to Kaoru. Kaoru might not have remembered what Kenshin had told her before he'd left, but Megumi did. Kenshin had been gone for three years and apparently that gave that sweaty little girl the green light to forget about him. She had half a mind to bitchslap her about it, but she restrained herself. Or rather, Sanosuke had talked her out of it.

She sighed as she slipped into her slippers. Kaoru had no idea that Kenshin would no doubt stick to his word. He was an honest man and would never think of cheating on Kaoru or any woman for that matter.

She was walking up the dojo when she heard a soft voice. A man's voice. No, there were three men's voices.

"Yahiko, calm down."

"I am not going to calm down, Sanosuke! Ugly just ruined Kenshin's life!"

_Ugly? Ruined Kenshin's life? _

Megumi peered around the corner and sure enough, she spotted the vibrant red hair and the scar on his left cheek. "Kenshin?" she asked softly.

He lifted his tear stained face and choked back another sob. "Miss Megumi?" he croaked.

Yahiko and Sanosuke had been trying to console him for the past ten minutes, but their attempts were fruitless. Megumi handed the basket of pastries to Yahiko and looped her arms around his neck. Normally, he would've blushed, but today he felt alone and lonely. "You met up with Kaoru," she guessed softly.

He nodded, remembering their reunion. "I felt like a fool when I saw her with him," he said bitterly. "How could she move on?" he asked angrily. "I thought about her every day. It pained me to be away from her for so long, but she was always in my thoughts. That she was."

Megumi was heartbroken. She was right when she thought that he would stick to his word, but hearing him made her feel terrible. He loved Kaoru with all his heart, there was no doubt about it; he still most likely loved her.

Kenshin was absolutely furious. He could feel the Battousai trying to take over. Yahiko and Sanosuke noticed the frequent flickering between purple and gold and honestly, they were worried. Kenshin had been able to control the Battousai, but this was a big shock to him. He'd just lost the woman he loved to another man. Emotionally, his guard was down.

He pushed Megumi off of him and stalked off with a firm grip on his sword. The three were worried. If Kenshin was out alone with a sword and a chance that the Battousai would appear, things would not end well for anyone.

Yahiko ran off before everyone, calling Kenshin over and over. Megumi sighed and turned to Sanosuke. "That little girl…she has no idea what she's done to Kenshin."

"Megumi, you can't hold Kaoru responsible for everything."

Her eyes flared up. "So you think that she did the right thing? Forgetting all of Kenshin's words?"

"I'm not saying that," he said calmly. "I'm saying that what she did was completely human. You said it yourself. Kenshin was gone for a long time. He could've been dead for all we knew. Kaoru couldn't live in the past anymore so she moved on. But I do think that there could've been a better way to tell him."

Megumi sighed, not wanting to know how Kenshin came to know of Kaoru's moving on. She only hoped that he wouldn't be reckless and that Yahiko would be able to convince him to come back.

* * *

Kaoru had bid Arata farewell just moments after Kenshin ran out. Truthfully, she didn't want to be around anyone right now. After seeing the look on Kenshin's face…she didn't think that anyone would want to be with her. Certainly not Megumi, if she came by today.

She sat down and sighed to herself. Never before had she seen so much anger and disappointment on someone's face before. She certainly never saw it on the face of someone she cared so much for.

She was wondering how she was able to move on from Kenshin. She hadn't heard from him in a while. Sending him a letter wasn't an option. If she sent him a letter, that would blow the government's cover and they'd be finished. She waited patiently for what seemed like forever.

Meeting Arata was like a breath of fresh air to her. She'd been single for so long. Waiting for a man who could have been dead. Thinking back on it now, she felt ashamed of herself. The legendary Battousai? Dead? Megumi would love Kaoru before that happened. Even if Kenshin had full control over the Battousai, he still had his instincts and the Hiten Mitsurugi style on his side. He was virtually unbeatable, which was why he was drafted for the job in the first place.

She slapped a hand to her forehead in anger. He must have thought about her on his journey. He must have thought of their reunion and how it'd be the most memorable thing in his life. Well, it was definitely memorable.

She felt tears creeping down her cheeks. Her hand drifted to them, baffled as to why they were there. _Am I sad for Kenshin? Or am I sad that he might not care about me anymore?_

* * *

Yahiko had been circling the market place for what seemed like hours. He was worried. If Kenshin turned into the Battousai, then there was no telling what he would do in his anger. He quietly cursed, darting into another shop.

"Why does Kaoru have to be such an idiot?" asked Yahiko. "Why did she have to ruin Kenshin's life?"

"Do you have the same belief as Megumi?" asked a soft deep voice.

Yahiko nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice behind him. He turned around to find Sanosuke behind him. He glared at him. "Damn right I do! Kaoru just ruined Kenshin's life!"

He made to run away from Sanosuke when he blocked the way. "Yahiko, calm down. Stop being so rash!" he scolded. Yahiko's gaze flicked to all directions, searching for an escape route. Random curses flew out of his mouth. When he began to understand that Sanosuke wasn't going to move or let him leave any time soon, he stopped.

"Yahiko, you can't blame Kaoru for being human."

"She wasn't being human!" shouted Yahiko.

"What would you do if you loved someone who didn't come back for three years?" asked Sanosuke. "What would you do if there was a chance that the love of your life had died?" Yahiko didn't answer. He knew that Sanosuke was right, but Kenshin's angry face kept reappearing in his mind. "I'm not trying to take sides. You know I don't do that. But we could've found a better way to tell Kenshin about Kurosawa-san."

Yahiko looked disgusted that he'd even used the honourific. Sanosuke, massaged his temple. "Even if you don't like it, you have to show respect to elders. Just like you respect Kenshin, you have to respect Kurosawa-san."

Yahiko sank into his seat, grumbling to himself. He refused to show Arata respect. Why should he? Why should he show respect to someone who had brought out Kenshin's violent side?

"Yahiko, I know what you're thinking, but right now, we have to find Kenshin," said Sanosuke briskly. "There's no telling what he'll do."

* * *

Kenshin slammed the glass down. He slumped forward, hiccuping. All too soon, he jumped up and wildly waved his glass. "Another(hic) shot!" he shouted.

The waitress standing before him looked shocked that he could stomach so much alcohol. Her eyes fell on the many glasses that were strewn before the ginger. She hesitantly poured him a little water, not wanting him to suffer from alcohol poisoning.

He downed the drink and slammed the glass down again. "It's a little weak, that it is," he whispered. He had a big smile on his face. His nose and cheeks were tinged pink. His eyes were bloodshot. The alcohol was hitting him hard. He'd had a burning sensation in his throat when he first started, but it died down by the time he was at his fourth or fifth one.

He lay his head down on the table and closed his eyes with a smile on his face. "I love you Miss Kaoru. I should get back to her, I should." He sighed. "I'm so tired…Wheeeee."

The waitress had gently shook Kenshin, fearing for his sanity. "Mister?" she asked tentatively. "Do you have a home where I can take you?"

He gazed into the waitress's eyes. She had short, choppy brown hair, hazel eyes and a kind smile…"Suzume?" he asked dazed. He dropped his head back on the table and exhaled. "I'll be leaving soon, I will. Don't worry, Suzume."

She was absolutely positive this man was drunk out of his mind. For one thing, her name wasn't Suzume. It was Yoko. And this man was going to have a terrible headache int he morning. She tried to heave him off the table, but he was too heavy. She swore quietly before putting his arm around her shoulder. She only took a few steps before hearing the doors open.

Sanosuke scanned the restaurant. He looked like he was about to faint when he saw Kenshin having to be supported. He dashed over and took Kenshin away from Yoko.

She gasped, she didn't realise how much Kenshin weighed until now. She massaged her neck and looked up at both men.

"Please tell me he hasn't been drinking," pleaded Sanosuke.

She fearfully nodded. He swore loudly. He reached into his pocket and made to pay for all the drinks that Kenshin had while he was here.

She shook her head. "He'll be paying for it the next morning," she said grimly. "I cut him off and gave him water when he demanded more."

Yahiko ran in and stopped in shock when he saw Kenshin in Sanosuke's arms. "What happened to Kenshin?" he demanded.

Yoko glanced at the men and wondered just exactly what relation they were to Kenshin. She lightly shook her head. _No need to get into personal matters. _"Kenshin-san came here a while ago and he proceeded to get drunk," she said quietly. "Does he not stomach alcohol well?"

Both their shoulders slackened. "It's not that he doesn't stomach it. Which he doesn't. It's just that he doesn't drink," sighed Sanosuke. "Well, we'd best get him home and see if Megumi can ease his upcoming headache." He glanced at the small woman. "Thanks, uhhh-"

"Onizuka. Onizuka Yoko," she replied, softly smiling.

Yahiko and Sanosuke curtly nodded. "Thanks, Onizuka-san," they both said before walking out of the restaurant.

Yoko stood there for a minute, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the last of them that she'd see. She shrugged and returned to work. Her eyes fell on a long and slender stick. Her eyebrows furrowed. She ran her fingers on it and concluded that it was a sheath. She immediately recoiled, realising what it was.

"A sword? In the Meiji era?" she asked incredulously. She eyed it, wondering if it belonged to the man. Kenshin-san. She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Damn this job," she muttered, hiding the sword. She'd take it back as soon as she got off, but it'd be quite a task finding him to begin with. _Why do I keep getting myself into situations like this?_

* * *

**Ahh, drunk Kenshin. Needless to say, after drinking his pain away, he's gonna have a hell of a hangover the next day. **

**What do you all think of my new OC, Yoko Onizuka? She plays her part in the story. Not gonna say too much about her though. :D**

**Read and review! Constructive criticism is always welcome. **


	3. A Hell of a Hangover

**This chapter took me such a long time to write. My gosh...Thanks to loveless an the living fantasy, saransama and KoopaTroopa2 for reviewing the last chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. **

* * *

Sanosuke and Yahiko half carried, half dragged Kenshin back to the Kamiya dojo. Kenshin had moaned about his head the entire way there. At this rate they didn't really care about whether or not Kaoru would approve of letting Kenshin stay. Right now, he needed to lie down somewhere.

"Do you think he'll be OK?" asked Yahiko.

Sanosuke grunted, trying to get Kenshin into the dojo. "If we get him to lie down, he should be just fine. He can't have gotten that drunk."

Kenshin slowly lifted his head. Pain was etched in his face. "Ohhhh, Sanoooo. My head."

"Hold on, Kenshin," assured Sanosuke. "Yahiko, go see if Megumi's still here."

He nodded before dashing off. Yahiko was hoping that he wouldn't run into Kaoru. He was still bitter about what had happened before. He could imagine the look on her face and the things that she'd say when she saw him. She'd try to talk to him. Get him to see her side. _What side? She broke Kenshin's heart!_ He raced through the dark halls of the dojo until he ran into a dark shadowy figure.

"Ah, crap!" he shouted.

"Yahiko?"

His stomach dropped. It was Kaoru. She brushed a few strands of her navy blue hair out of her face and glanced down at him expectantly. He tried to look away from her, but her tone when she said his name…It sounded like she wanted to vent to him about what'd happened.

"D'you know where Megumi is?" he blurted before she could say anything else.

A dark shadow crossed her face. Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. "No. After being rude to me, she left the dojo. Most likely to go back to her house. Why?"

His looked around wildly, trying to think of a lie. "Oh well, Sanosuke wanted to see her. You know I think he…you know…" he said hopefully, hoping Sanosuke and Megumi wouldn't flay him alive for telling such a lie.

She raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips. "Sanosuke likes Megumi? How come I didn't know?"

He mentally sighed in relief. "He didn't want anyone to know. Oh no, he'll probably kill me for telling you. Don't tell anyone!" he shouted waving his arms.

Kaoru glanced at Yahiko, wondering whether or not he'd lost his mind before shrugging. "Fine. I won't tell anyone. Not that I'm in any position to…" she said trailing off. When she saw that Yahiko could care less about what she had to say, she sighed and walked away.

Yahiko sighed in relief when he saw Kaoru walk away. His relief was short lived when he heard a deep voice from behind him. "I like Megumi?" The younger boy gulped before turning around to a very pink faced Sanosuke. "I like Megumi?" he repeated faintly. "W-What gave you that idea?"

Yahiko raised an eyebrow, mentally questioning why Sanosuke looked so bothered by his lie. "I only said that because Kaoru was asking me questions."

Sanosuke's shoulders slackened and he let out a whoosh of air. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced down at the small boy. "I gave Kenshin some water to ease the after effects of drinking that much alcohol. Then he fell asleep in his old room."

Yahiko noticed that he looked like he was living in his memories. Yahiko knew the feeling. He remembered what it was like before Kenshin had to leave to help the government. Sanosuke suddenly shook his head and glanced down at Yahiko. "So Megumi left?" he asked.

He nodded, making the older brunette sigh. He leaned against the wall of the dojo and exhaled. He didn't know how Kenshin would react when he was finally sober in the morning. He could only wonder how he'd hold up with the loss of the only woman he ever loved. And a massive headache.

* * *

Yoko lay the sword on the small table in her room next to her futon. She glanced at the sword with distaste. She'd decided against returning the sword after work. It was already so dark outside. What if someone caught her? She'd be in a heap of trouble then. No, it was best to take the sword in the morning.

She sat on the edge of her futon, indian style. She grabbed her ankles and sighed, looking down. She let her bangs fall in front of her eyes. She suddenly raised her head and blew the strands of hair away from her face.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked the sword.

She heaved a huge sigh before crashing down on her futon. She rolled on her back and looked up at the ceiling as she pulled her blankets higher until they touched her nose. She turned on her side, waiting for sleep to take her. It just wouldn't come today. Her mind kept drifting over to the owner of the sword.

"Kenshin-san," she whispered.

As soon as she spoke his name, she could literally see the vibrant hair. Remembering his pink nose and wide eyes, she knew that something had upset him. People like him don't normally have alcohol. She tapped a finger to her upper lip. What could've bothered him so?

She sighed again, turning on her other side. She was looking at the sword now. She felt so…dirty for having a sword in her house. She was the type of person who got into trouble if she even thought about committing the crime. Imagine what would happen if someone caught her holding a sword! What would happen then?

"Dammit all," she muttered. She forced her eyes shut, refusing to dwell on the matter any longer.

* * *

The first thing Kenshin noticed was a slim figure in the corner of his room. He sat up slightly, immediately shielding his amethyst eyes from the incoming sunlight. He hissed quietly before yanking the covers back over his head.

The figure, a woman, turned when she heard the noise. Her inky black hair was slightly covering her eyes as she'd been hunched over her book. She rose quietly and swooped down over Kenshin.

"Sir Ken," she said quietly. "Are you OK?"

He lowered his covers just to the tip of his nose. "Miss Megumi?"

She sat beside him, on her heels. Her face was filled with worry. She came to the dojo early that day to check up on Kenshin. She saw Yahiko and Sanosuke keeping him company as he battled his fierce headache. She had no idea what had happened when he ran off. When she saw the look on both men's faces, she knew that Kenshin had headed straight for the nearest restaurant to drink his pain away.

She kept watch while Sanosuke and Yahiko helped Kaoru with the dojo. Kaoru still didn't know of Kenshin staying at the dojo and it was going to stay that way. _No doubt, she'd try to weasel her way out of this one_, Megumi thought bitterly. She placed a hand over Kenshin's forehead and it slowly crept into his bright hair. He turned over on his side so he faced the wall.

"Miss Megumi, how long have you been here? How long have I been here? Sano and Yahiko refuse to tell me anything. That they do." Kenshin looked back at her with longing eyes. It nearly broke her heart to see him like this. She sighed, thinking of where to start.

"You do not remember anything?" she asked softly. "Anything at all?"

He sat up, trying to ignore the pounding in the back of his head. "I remember seeing Miss Kaoru. With a man. Then nothing." His face was blank and emotionless. He refused to show that this had any effect on him. He turned back to Megumi, who was trying not to meet his eye.

"Kenshin, you were drunk last night," she said softly. "Sanosuke and Yahiko brought you here, back to the dojo."

Kenshin buried his face in his hands. "I'm a fool, I am. I got myself drunk. And for what? A woman who doesn't love me anymore?" he asked angrily.

She looked up, startled. Kenshin never spoke ill of anyone. Not one single person. His eyes were flickering between his usual violet to Battousai's gold. She was seriously getting worried now. He was vulnerable now. If he was reckless with his emotions, the Battousai would come out. And then what would happen?

"Kenshin, just take a minute and calm down," she said soothingly. "How about we go watch Ayame and Suzume? They really missed you while you were gone."

She hoped that when she mentioned the girls, his alter ego would stop trying to force it's way out. It took a few minutes, but eventually, his iris stopped flickering. He sighed before slowly getting up. "Have they had breakfast yet?"

She nodded, watching him glumly walk out of the room. There was something…off. As if there was something else missing from the wanderer. But what was it? Her eyes fell on his waist where his signature reverse blade sword was absent. "Kenshin, where's your sword?"

_My sword…_He peered down at his waist and sure enough, his sword was missing. He stared in disbelief. He patted his hip, just to make sure it didn't sandwich itself between the folds of his clothes. He sighed again. "First Miss Kaoru…Now my sword." With that, he walked out of the room, breaking Megumi's heart.

* * *

Yoko had been wandering around town for the better part of two hours. She kept the sword hidden under the many folds of her dark purple kimono, but she was still rather jumpy. She kept peering over her shoulder, in case someone happened to figure out what she was hiding. She stopped suddenly, pressing a hand to the sword.

"I have no idea where I'm going," she finally admitted.

"Where are you trying to go, little girl?"

She froze at the sound of the voice. It was a man's voice. There was something about the tone that made him seem like he wasn't to be trusted. Thoughts were running loose in her mind. She was wildly trying to come up with a lie, when he appeared in front of her. He had messy navy blue hair and stormy grey eyes. He towered over her with an evil smirk on his face. His eyes darted down to the side of her kimono where the sword was concealed.

"What are you hiding there?" he asked.

"N-Nothing," she stammered. "I'm just going to visit my grandfath-"

He roughly grabbed her arms and pulled them in opposite directions. Without the support from her arm, the sword fell with to the ground with a clatter. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "A sword? In the Meiji era?"

Yoko squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the worst. She heard him laugh and it gave her chills. His laugh was tinny and rough. She knew that he would punish her for having the sword. _Be brave, Yoko. It's not like you didn't know something like this would come out of all this. You should've never gotten yourself into all this. _

Suddenly, his hold on her arms loosened and she felt a whoosh of air. Her hair ruffled slightly in the breeze. She tentatively opened one eye and saw a flash of bright red. Her eyes widened when she saw the man from last night, Kenshin, defending her.

"You dare take advantage of a young woman like that?" demanded Kenshin. He didn't give the man a chance to answer. He shook the man's collar, as if to shake the answer out of him. "You will not bother this woman. That you will not."

"Or what?" sneered the man.

Kenshin's eyes fell on the sword by a trembling Yoko. He picked up the sword and held it in his right hand. "Or I shall demonstrate the Hiten Mitsurugi on you," he threatened.

The man gulped before tearing himself out of Kenshin's grip and running away. Kenshin sighed before turning to Yoko. He furrowed his eyebrows. She looked familiar. "That man will not bother you anymore. That he will not."

She shakily nodded. Her eyes fell on the sword and then back to his face. "You left that at the restaurant yesterday," she whispered.

He nodded before slinging it around his waist. He strode over to her. His eyes seemed to search through her soul. "Thank you…"

"Onizuka," she said softly. "Onizuka Yoko."

He smiled when he nodded. "Thank you for returning my sword, Miss Yoko, but I would have rather you not been mishandled in the process. For that I am sorry."

She blushed lightly before shaking her head. "Oh no, I made it too obvious! I always get myself into trouble."

His eyes twinkled at her. "Do try to stay out of trouble, Miss Yoko. I do not think that man will give up. That I do not."

She nodded, watching him turn around and slowly walk away. She sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Again, this is most likely not the last I will see of Kenshin-san."

When he'd gotten his sword back from Yoko, he felt…better. Much better than he had felt since he was told of Kaoru moving on. He stopped for a minute. He had his sword now. He could leave if he wanted to. He glanced down at the sword. _Should I leave Tokyo?_

* * *

**Read and review! Constructive criticism is always welcome.**


	4. Reminiscing

**Thanks to loveless an the living fantasy, Chibi Tanuki 91, KenshinAdorer, Jaded Holliwood, boba, The Fairy, KoopaTroopa2 and thesweetnessofdreams622 for reviewing the last chapter!**

**Alright guys, I'm going to say it one last time, This is going to be a realistic story. That means that the emotions and reactions aren't going to be straight out of a shoujo manga. Life is not a shoujo manga. I am not bashing Kaoru and I have said that over and over. I'd like to specially thank The Fairy for getting my point. If you all have an issue with my writing and what's going on with this story, I'd rather you not read it. **

**Wow, longest author's note I've written. Well, hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

* * *

Kenshin hadn't gone back to the dojo after retrieving his sword from Yoko. He had wandered around town, trying to mull over everything that had happened in the last couple days.

_Miss Kaoru…moved on. She moved on and I should be happy for her. I should. _

Telling himself this didn't have any effect. He had loved Kaoru with all of his heart and soul. He couldn't overlook that simply because she moved on without him. He glanced down at the sword bouncing on his hip. He gripped it firmly in his hand, debating the question in his mind.

After he had gotten his sword back, he had debated leaving Tokyo. It wasn't like he had anything here now. He remembered the first day that he met Kaoru.

* * *

He had wandered around downtown Tokyo for the better part of three days. He often stopped at a restaurant for something to eat before heading on his way. He wasn't going anywhere in particular. Just wandering like he normally did. He was holding a bag over his shoulder when he heard footsteps behind him. He kept going on his way.

"Hold it right there! Don't move! Battousai: the manslayer!"

He was confused. Who was this woman and why was she calling him by his former alias? He turned around with an innocent doe-eyed look on his face. The woman was wearing a mustard yellow haori paired with a deep burgundy coloured pair of hakamas. She had navy blue hair that was tied in a high ponytail.

"I finally found you. You're much weaker than I thought you'd be, manslayer!" she spat. She pointed her shinai at him with a menacing look on her face. She looked as if she intended to teach him a lesson he shouldn't soon forget.

"Huh?" His eyes bugged out and his mouth was agape. _This woman…she's lost her mind._

"Prepare yourself. Hyaaahhhh!"

She charged at him relatively fast. She jabbed the air with her shinai only to find that he had dodged her attack. He was falling back to the ground gracefully. Until he hit a small cluster of boxes. He was sitting among the now broken pile of wood with a dazed look on his face.

She looked uncertain. _This…is the legendary manslayer? _She inched closer to him and knelt, concerned. "Can it be you're the legendary manslayer? I heard you killed three more people last night at once!" she said incredulously.

She peered at the ginger that was in front of her. This man didn't look like he knew what she was talking about.

He shook his head slightly, smiling. "I'm a wanderer. I'm nothing but a wanderer. I'm merely a wandering swordsman, that I am. Do you honestly believe that I'd be able to kill three people with this?" he asked holding his sheath out.

She looked at the sheath, doubting this man's words. She hesitantly reached out and pulled the sword out. She peered at the blade, confused. "What is this?" she asked incredulously. "The blade is on the wrong side!"

"That's a reverse blade sword," he explained. He rose from the debris and brushed his hakamas. "It cannot slay anyone. And there's nothing about that sword that looks like it was ever used to slay anyone, is there."

* * *

He smiled fondly, remembering the day. The very next day, she had learned of his true identity. He was Battousai the manslayer. She had accepted it wholeheartedly, though. She believed that he was different now. He had stayed at the Kamiya dojo for many years. Along the way he had made many new friends.

_Ayame, Suzume, Yahiko, Sanosuke, Miss Megumi and so many more. _

He looked up at the sun. It was high up in the sky. He gripped the hilt of his sword, bringing him back to his question.

Leaving Tokyo would mean leaving all of his friends. He didn't want to part with them, but he remembered the real reason he stopped wandering.

* * *

Kaoru had been searching through her father's records in hopes that she'd find out who the man. The man who was using the Kamiya Kasshin style to murder people. She looked through all the records when she realised that it couldn't be the Battousai. The man had to be someone who was a left-handed student of her father's.

Her fingers traced the name of the man.

_Gohei Hiruma. _

Suddenly she heard a noise behind her. She gasped softly before turning around. And there he was. Standing in the doorway of her dojo. He was wearing a smirk and his eyes held a murderous glint. She knew that he meant business. She sprang up, intending to defend her family's name.

Before she knew it, she was hoisted up in the air. She was completely defenseless. Gohei smirked at her. She was aware that he had an army of men behind him. She was also aware of their blood lust. She felt Gohei's shinai under her chin, tilting it back. She squeezed her eyes shut, not willing to let tears fall. The pain was unbearable.

Suddenly, the shinai disappeared and she heard the door open. Gohei turned around. A man was standing in the door way. He stood stock still. He looked as if he was going to say something when he slumped forward. The men were puzzled to see a man with vibrant red hair standing in the man's place.

"I-It's the wanderer," whispered Kaoru.

"You'll put her down gently, you will," said Kenshin.

Gohei smirked, lowering Kaoru. "I remember you from yesterday."

"I had a feeling I should've taken care of you right then," Kenshin continued. His gaze was fixed on the ground and his face didn't hold any emotions.

Kaoru shook her navy blue tresses wildly. _Didn't he have the slightest idea what he was doing?! _"No! You mustn't get involved! You're no match for him!"

Gohei merely shoved her aside and grinned wickedly at Kenshin. "Another fool who thinks the sword can bring out people's potentials?" he asked.

There was absolutely no change in Kenshin's posture. "No," he said simply. He started walking into the dojo. "A sword is a weapon." Bits of his past as Battousai came flooding back to his mind. "The art of swordsmanship is learning how to kill. That is the truth," he stated. He remembered the blood lust he had back during his days as Battousai. He kept coming closer to Gohei and Kaoru. "What Miss Kaoru says is sweet and innocent talk that only those whose hands have never been stained with the blood of men can believe."

Gohei stood there, dumbstruck. He gripped his shinai tightly in his left hand, bracing himself for a sudden sneak attack, should there be one.

Kenshin stopped walking and suddenly smiled. "But to tell you the truth, I'd much prefer Miss Kaoru's sweet and innocent talk over the truth, indeed I do."

Kaoru's eyes widened in shock. _This man…He talks as if he's an experienced swordsman. But he's just a wanderer!_

"I hope that someday her words will become the truth for all of us to live by."

Gohei gritted his teeth and barked orders at his men. His men gripped their weapons, preparing to strike the wanderer. Kenshin didn't even flinch. He unsheathed his sword.

Kaoru watched helplessly as the men began to attack. She was blown away when Kenshin not only dodged the attacks, but managed to inflict serious damage to the men. Soon, every man was lying unconscious on the ground. Kenshin was unscathed. He turned to glance at Gohei and Kaoru over his shoulder.

"Oh yes, by the way…the technique of Battousai the manslayer is neither Kamiya Kasshin nor is it whatever style your's is." A smile was playing at his lips. "He uses Hiten Mitsurugi: Ultrasonic sword techniques that will not fail to slay the opponent unless of course he uses a sword like mine, that is."

Kaoru connected the dots and was shocked. "So then that means…You're the real Battousai the manslayer?"

Kaoru felt the grip on the front of her haori loosen. She hit the ground watching Gohei approach Kenshin. She watched as Gohei readied himself to strike Kenshin. She peered in front of Gohei. _Where did he go? _

"Over here!"

Kenshin brought his sword crashing down on Gohei's sword hand, effectively stopping him. Gohei's head had created a hole in the ground. Kaoru watched awestruck. Kenshin stood still for a moment before speaking.

"I have no attachment to the name Battousai the manslayer." His lips curved up as he turned to a now unconscious Gohei. "Just the same, I can't allow someone like you to wear it." He slipped his sword back in its sheath and surveyed the damage. "I'm afraid he'll no longer be able to hold a sword with either of those hands."

Kaoru watched as Kenshin instructed the only conscious man to call the authorities. He turned back to her, a sad look graced his face. "I am sorry, Miss Kaoru, that I am. I didn't mean to hide my identity from you. It's just that…I guess I didn't want you to know if you didn't have to. That's all."

Tears were brimming in her eyes. _This man has just saved me. And he's apologising? _

He turned around. "I'll take care," he said making his way toward the door.

She was at a loss for words. He just made it to the door frame when she regained her ability to speak. "YOU JERK!" she shouted.

The look on his face resembled the same look he had when Kaoru had first called him the manslayer. "Huh?"

She stood, clutching her shoulder. Words tumbled out of her mouth. She wasn't thinking about what she was saying. Only when she called him a wanderer, she blushed, holding her tongue. She turned to the side. "If you insist on going, you could at least tell me your name before you go. I'm not talking about the legendary manslayer either. If you don't mind, I'd like to know your real name."

He smiled at her. "Himura. It's Kenshin Himura."

"Kenshin," she whispered. She closed her eyes. "I guess you'd best be on your way, Kenshin." Her face fell when she heard the door slide shut. A part of her was hoping that she would get to know him more. _I should know better than to get my hopes up. _She sighed, staring at her feet.

"You know, I'm a bit tired of wandering."

She straightened up. Did her ears deceive her? She slowly turned around and sure enough, there was Kenshin. He was standing in front of the closed-door, smiling.

"Although, you'll never know when I have to hit the road again."

He started walking, prompting Kaoru to start walking too. He began to talk of different things that might come out of him staying at the Kamiya dojo. Kaoru smiled until he brought up the bath incident. She mocked anger and made a fist, punching him in the face.

She immediately withdrew her hand and covered her mouth in shock. She peered at Kenshin who was now on the ground, dazed.

* * *

Remembering the reason he had stayed pained him. He had sat on the ground, watching the sun. He pulled his sword out of his sheath a little. The sword had defended Kaoru on many occasions. Even if it meant putting his own life on the line. He was willing to risk it all for her. And it was because he loved her and he knew that she loved him back.

He pushed it back into the sheath and sighed, a breeze blowing at his hair. But now that was all over. He had stayed for Kaoru. She had moved on. There was nothing for him here. It was time for him to move on. He stood up and clenched his fist, finally able to make his decision. He'd leave Tokyo first thing the next day.

* * *

**Read and review! Constructive criticism is welcome, but pointless reviews of how I'm supposedly 'bashing Kaoru' are not. **


	5. Changes In the Battousai

**Thanks to loveless an the living fantasy, KoopaTroopa2, kenshinotaku, fanficnewbiee, miki, thesweetnessofdreams622 and skenshingumi for reviewing the last chapter!**

**If you do not like how this story is playing out, I would appreciate if you didn't catch up to my last chapter and review on how much you didn't like it. ****I understand if you want to critique my work and have your own opinion, but flat-out saying that you don't like something about the fic is completely unnecessary and it does nothing but hurt the author's confidence. **

******All of you anonymous reviews who are doing this, do post some of your own work so that we all may critique yours. That is how we grow as authors. **

**I hope those of you who actually like this fic continue to read and enjoy it like you have in the past.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Just my OCs. **

* * *

After making his decision, Kenshin had returned to the market place to start on his goodbyes. Many people were shocked to hear that he was leaving. They didn't ask for an explanation, figuring he had a valid reason for wanting to leave. Others begged him to stay. He simply gave them a small smile before saying goodbye.

He was walking to the restaurant where he had been the night he'd gotten drunk when Yahiko, Sanosuke, Megumi, Ayame and Suzume popped back into his mind. He stopped short, picturing their response to his goodbye.

Yahiko would throw a fit. He wouldn't accept Kenshin leaving. Yahiko would demand a reason and upon finding out, he'd set off to hurt Kaoru.

Sanosuke would frown before figuring out his reason. He'd offer a few words to try to change Kenshin's mind, but it wouldn't be any use. Kenshin had his mind made up.

Megumi would have left with Yahiko long ago. Kenshin shook his head, remembering Megumi's strong dislike for Kaoru. Why couldn't they get along? It wasn't like either woman had offended the other. Or did something happen when he was gone?

Ayame and Suzume's face appeared in his mind. Tears were welled up in their soft brown eyes. It pained Kenshin to imagine it. The girls were like his kid sisters. Could he really say goodbye to them, knowing that he'd never return?

He pushed the thought out of his mind and walked into the restaurant. He saw many familiar faces. They greeted him happily, until they heard of his reason for coming in. Looks of disappointment were on their faces. Kenshin turned away and proceeded to the front. A brunette woman dressed in cream-white caught his eye. He recognized the woman.

"Miss Yoko?"

The woman turned, confused. No one called her Miss Yoko. She gave him a small smile. "Kenshin-san," she said softly. She approached him, a notepad in her hand. "Are you staying for lunch? I never got to properly thank you for saving me earlier."

He waved his hand, a light blush present on his cheeks. "There's no need, Miss Yoko. And I am not staying for very long. That I am not."

She raised an eyebrow. Her hazel eyes were searching his soul for an excuse. "Why?"

He sighed. "I am leaving Tokyo. That I am. I am going back to my wandering days."

He watched as she slipped the notepad into the front pocket of her apron. He heard her sigh and lead him to a table. He was confused. _What was she doing?_

When they sat down, he opened his mouth, ready to ask when she beat him.

"You're leaving because of a woman, aren't you?" she asked. She saw how shocked he looked and decided that she was right. "Kenshin-san, the night you came into the bar, you got drunk. Men do not get that drunk unless a woman is on their mind."

He bit back his questions, knowing that she was right. He kept silent, directing his gaze at the table, as she glanced at him.

"I am not trying to get you to stay, I don't know you that well, but answer this one question. Would this decision affect others? And would it be for better or for worse?"

His gaze was snapped back up to her. He couldn't help but notice how her eyes resembled Ayame and Suzume's. His decision would affect people. For better and for worse. But he couldn't stay in Tokyo. He didn't have a reason anymore. He had stayed for Kaoru, but she was happily in a relationship with another man.

"It would affect others. That it would," started Kenshin. "But I do not see a reason for me to stay here."

Yoko nodded slightly. "I see you have thought long and hard about this decision. I do hope you know what you are doing. But if I may, I'd like to say one last thing." She paused, glancing at Kenshin. He stared at her, waiting for what she was going to say.

"This doesn't apply to me anymore, but I used to believe in a saying. If you love someone or something, let it go. If they return, then it's yours, but if they don't, it was never yours to begin with."

He noticed how her demeanor changed. Before, she was slightly worn out, but happy. Now she looked as if she was on the verge of tears. Her eyes were watery and she avoided his gaze.

"Miss Yoko?" he asked tentatively.

She hastily brushed the wetness from her eyes and jumped up. "Just think about what I said and the friends and family you have made here before you make your decision."

She watched him burrow himself deep in his thoughts before getting up. His face didn't hold any emotions. He curtly nodded toward her. "Thank you for returning my sword, Miss Yoko," he said quietly before walking away.

When Kenshin left, she reached deep in her pocket. She pulled her notepad out and flipped to the last page. A name was written on it. The ink was starting to fade, but one could still make out the name. Her fingers traced each letter.

"Ren," she whispered.

"Onizuka!" shouted a loud voice. "Stop dawdling and get back to work!"

She quickly flipped to the last page she used and wiped a stray tear from her eyes. She quietly made her way to a table that hadn't been served yet, giving them a small smile. "May I take your order?"

* * *

Kenshin was walking aimlessly around Tokyo. He was thinking over his decision again. If Yoko was trying to get him to seriously think about what he was going to do, she succeeded. He had no idea what to do now. A part of him wanted to leave Tokyo and resume wandering. He kept reminded himself that there was nothing for him.

Another part of him never wanted to leave. That part of him was attached to all the friends he had made here. He hadn't even said goodbye to Sanosuke, Yahiko, Megumi, Ayame or Suzume. He knew he wasn't saying goodbye to Kaoru. It would be too hard. He'd never be able to leave if he saw tears brimming in her eyes.

He leaned against a wall. He was still in love with Kaoru. He doubted he would get over her by simply leaving. That wasn't the way to go with this. Yoko's words were bouncing around in his mind.

_If you love something or someone, let it go._

He had let go of Kaoru, which was why she moved on to begin with. Could he really get her back? No, that was up to her. If she wanted to come back to him.

He glanced at the silvery orb that hung in the sky, closing his eyes. He'd stay one more day and really think over his decision. He opened his eyes and slowly made his way back to the Kamiya dojo.

* * *

"Megumi-chan! Thank you for the pastries!" chirped Ayame.

"Yeah! Thank you!" chimed Suzume.

Megumi smiled down at the girls, ruffling their hair. She loved making pastries for the girls. It really wasn't much trouble to do so. And besides, who really remembered any hard work when they saw the smile on their faces?

"You're very welcome," said Megumi smiling. She watched them run into out of the room, giggling.

"These are delicious, Megumi," said Yahiko stuffing his face.

Sanosuke sat across from Yahiko, laughing. "Careful, kid. You're going to hurt yourself at the rate you're going."

Megumi sat down beside Yahiko and picked a pastry for herself. "You can't really blame him," she said peering at the filling. She took a small bite and glaced at the man sitting in front of her. "I suppose that sweaty little girl isn't very competent in the kitchen."

Sanosuke gave the woman a reproachful glare. "Megumi, you can't constantly say things like that about Kaoru. You and Yahiko both." He watched as they both refused to meet his eyes. "Listen, Kaoru did what any other person would. She moved on with her life."

"By destroying Kenshin's in the process!" shouted Yahiko.

"Speaking of Kenshin, where is he?" asked Megumi looking around the room.

"He said he was going to the market today," said Sanosuke, reaching into the basket of pastries. "I'm not sure for what, but he's been gone an awful long time."

"Who's been gone an awful long time?"

Everyone looked up at Kaoru who was sitting down beside Sanosuke. Both Megumi and Yahiko glared daggers at her, while Sanosuke merely bit into his pastry. Kaoru noticed the glares she got and tried to brush it off. Ever since Kenshin had come back, she felt guilty about the situation, but that didn't mean that Yahiko and Megumi needed to constantly remind her of it.

"Kenshin," said Sanosuke. "He's been at the market all day."

"Oh," she said softly. She craned her neck, looking out of the window. It was getting pretty dark outside. Kenshin had his sword with him, so she didn't worry very much. She turned back to the table, not wanting to meet Yahiko and Megumi's eye.

The tension in the room was thick. It was uncomfortable and unbearable. Sanosuke glanced at the pair in front of him, giving them a look that said, 'be nice.' Yahiko jerked his head in the opposite direction, munching on his pastry. Megumi, however, gave Kaoru a stone cold glare.

Kaoru was aware of the cold look she was getting from Megumi and was tired of it. She hated how Megumi's hatred for her was influencing Yahiko. Megumi never liked her very much and it was clear now more than ever. The only people who weren't giving her odd looks every five minutes were Sanosuke, Ayame and Suzume. She knew that Sanosuke was trying to be neutral on this and get Yahiko and Megumi to tone it down, but those two obviously weren't listening. She was about to give them a piece of his mind when the door slid open.

Everyone looked up to see a very worn out Kenshin. They all did a double take at his appearance. His eyes were a shimmery purple now. The Battousai tried to take over today. He sat down on the empty side of the table and sighed. He put a small smile on his face.

"Miss Megumi, Miss Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, how are you all?"

They were all silent for a minute, unable to comprehend the sudden change in their friend's iris. Kenshin didn't say anything of it. He sat cross-legged, staring at the ground.

"Kenshin?" asked Kaoru. "Are you feeling OK?" She was starting to worry. If the Battousai was trying to take over, then she did much more damage than she thought she had.

He looked up, still wearing his small smile. "I am fine, Miss Kaoru. Just tired."

Megumi took the basket of pastries and put it in front of him. "Kenshin, do you want any pastries? I made them myself," she said tentatively. She was worrying about him just as Kaoru had. _That shimmer in his eyes isn't good…He's even more vulnerable than we thought. _

He blinked before standing up. "No thank you, Miss Megumi. I think I'll be going to bed now, I will."

Kaoru also stood up. "Kenshin, your old room is still unoccupied," she offered.

He continued to walk. "Thank you, Miss Kaoru." He turned, disappearing into the darkness of the hallway.

Kaoru sat back down, feeling worse than she had before. She was certain that she was the reason for this change in Kenshin. She stared at the table for a minute before getting up and retiring to her room.

Yahiko waited until he was sure that she was out of earshot. "You see, Sanosuke?" he asked angrily. "She did ruin Kenshin's life! She's not being human at all!"

Megumi nodded, turning to Sanosuke who looked surprised and disappointed. "What is it Sano?" she asked. She had a feeling she knew what was on his mind.

He ran a hand through his hair before looking Megumi in the eyes. "I have a feeling that the Battousai merged with Kenshin."

"Is that even possible?" asked Yahiko.

Sanosuke leaned back. "I'm not sure. His eyes were flickering before, but it was always one colour. It was either gold or purple. Now that it's in between, I don't think that he'll be able to respond as he usually would. He's going to act as if the Battousai is influencing his response to things."

Megumi and Yahiko dropped their gazes to the table. With the Battousai having some control in Kenshin's life, things were not going to go well for him.

* * *

**Read and review! Constructive criticism is always welcome. **

**Next Monday, I'll be going to Canada for a week long trip. Sadly, this means no updates until I get back. I'll do my best to update as soon as I get home. **


	6. The Pain In Their Hearts

**I'm so sorry for not updating this earlier. I've had so much schoolwork and other issues to deal with. Ugh. And then I lost my flashdrive a couple weeks ago. But no worries. I have my flashdrive and I should be updating this semi-regularly again. **

**Thanks to KaOrU HiMuRa24, thesweetnessofdreams622, kenshinotaku, KoopaTroopa2, loveless an the living fantasy, Queen Emily the Diligent, fanficnewbiee and Jaded Holliwood for reviewing the last chapter!**

**I hope I haven't lost any of you in my long absence...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Just my two OCs, Arata and Yoko. **

* * *

As soon as Kenshin was sure no one could see him, he stopped and dropped his shoulders. It killed him inside to see Kaoru now. Every time he saw her, he was reminded of how she had broken his heart by introducing Arata to him. He knew that he had been gone for three years and she had only introduced Arata because it would look bad if she didn't, but he still couldn't help but feel like she was acting mercilessly. He felt the knot in his throat tighten and the contents in his stomach rising.

"Kenshin?"

He froze, silently cursing his emotions for getting the better of him. He cast a furtive look over his shoulder. He saw her slim and fragile figure slowly making its way toward him. He quickly turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could to his old room.

Kaoru saw him quickly trying to get to his room. A part of her nearly stopped, sympathizing him. She had shattered his heart and she wanted to talk to him about it. Another part of her knew that if she walked away now, they would never resolve this. She squared her shoulders and picked up her pace.

The second he got to the door, he grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. He felt a small hand on his shoulder. He immediately relaxed under her touch. He wanted to pour his heart out and release every single emotion he was feeling at that moment. Then he remembered that this was the hand of the woman who was causing him this pain. He mentally kicked himself for lowering his guard. He straightened, still facing the room. "Miss Kaoru," he said plainly. "Is there anything you wanted from me?" He faced the door as he talked to her. He knew that if he turned around, he would get lost in her sapphire eyes.

She dropped her hand to her side when she heard him speak, her face falling. She remembered how soft his voice would get with her. Even before they were together. He was always gentle with her. Now that warmth in his voice had disappeared. It was replaced with melancholy and a hint of ice. "Kenshin, I wanted to talk," she mumbled. "About us."

Upon hearing her words, he felt a fire go ablaze in the pit of his stomach. Anger was starting to conquer his emotions and it was influencing his next words. "What is there to talk about?" he asked harshly. "I left and you moved on without me. What more do you wish to talk about?" He pushed the door open further and briskly walked inside, leaving her stunned.

She watched him walk into the room, silently cursing the day he met Arata. The day he met Arata was the day all hell broke loose; she wasn't denying it, but didn't he understand that he could have been dead for all she knew? She would have had to move on. "Kenshin," she said cautiously. "I mean this in the nicest way. Just please...listen to me. Ten minutes. That is all I ask for."

The anger he had felt before, it was quickly melting away and he regained control of his emotions. It was a strange feeling to him. He had never felt that much anger toward a single person before. It was unsettling to him.

She saw him stand still for a minute, but nothing about his demeanor suggested that he honestly wanted her to leave the room or that he didn't want to talk to her. She carefully stepped in. She took note of his posture; how he was standing almost hunched over, as if he was hiding something. She also sensed a bit of discomfort in him, as if he was apprehensive about something happening. She took a deep breath before beginning. "Kenshin, I wanted to apologise...for what happened the day you came back." He did nothing to acknowledge he had heard her so she kept going. "Please don't leave because of this!" she blurted.

His head shot up, clearly not expecting this from her. He had expected something along the lines of, "We can still be friends, no?" He carefully turned around, a look of shock present on his face.

The moment the words tumbled out of her mouth, she regretted ever following him. She mentally berated herself, turning away from the ginger with a deep red blush on her cheeks. She covered her mouth and closed her eyes. "I...I am sorry," she whispered. "I don't know what I was thinking. I should not be the one telling you to stay. Especially not after-"

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, cutting her off. Her breath was caught in her throat as she turned around. Her eyes darted up to his shimmery amethyst iris. She wanted to turn away from him.

_'What am I doing? I had no right to follow him to his room and ask him to stay!'_

She was confused to see a gentle smile on his face.

"Miss Kaoru," he began. "This is very unexpected; that it is. But I am afraid I have already made up my mind. There is nothing for me here. It is time for me to move on as you have. It is time for me to resume my wandering; it is."

He felt the familiar surge of anger, trying to dominate. He could feel the white-hot words attempting to force their way out as well. He tried to keep those feeling restrained and stay his calm and gentle self. He kept his mind on his decision to help tame the anger. There really wasn't anything for him anymore. He would be living in the past if he continued to stay here.

"I will not deny, it saddened me to see you move on without me, but if you are happy with Kurosawa-san, then I will not stand in your way; that I will not."

She wanted to say something to him. Something that would make the both of them feel better, but she couldn't properly phrase what she was thinking or feeling. Instead, she slowly nodded, drinking in his words.

He backed away from her after finishing his thoughts on the matter. He moved toward the futon, kneeling down and placing his sword on the ground. He sat on the edge of the futon, preparing for bed. He felt Kaoru's eyes on him as he pulled the blanket back. He stood, facing her and offering her a small smile. "I suppose I should be the one saying sorry."

She raised an eyebrow at her, thinking her ears had deceived her. She took a step toward him. "Sorry? For what?"

He stared straight ahead, clasping his hands together. "For leaving you three years ago," he said softly. "Things are the way they are now because I left you."

She sat down beside him, completely taken aback just as he was not too long ago. She looked at him, about to speak to the side of his face. "Kenshin, this is not your fault. You could not reject the government. If anything, this is my fault. I should have known you would come back."

"I could have died," he said simply. "You only did what you thought was right."

"You had the Hiten Mitsurugi style on your side!" she exclaimed. She didn't understand why he was making her feel better. Shouldn't he be yelling at her now? Shouldn't he be demanding a legitimate reason for her moving on? Why was he attempting to make her feel better? She had been absolutely cruel to him and she knew it. She shook her head quickly, never understanding his logic.

He turned to her now, looking her in the eyes. It pained him to see the familiar crystal blue iris that he would always get lost in before catching her lips in a chaste kiss. He felt a stab at his heart, but he took a deep breath before speaking. "Miss Kaoru, this is neither your fault, nor mine. Things happened the way they were intended to. Do not make yourself feel bad about it. You have moved mon and now it is time for me to start; it is."

He always had the ability to make people speechless. She sat beside him, staring at the wall at a complete loss for words. Her mouth was slightly agape, as if she wanted to make a point, but no words came out. He exhaled softly, shifting on the futon. "This is not anyone's fault."

She sat still for a moment. Then she rose slowly, unable to say anything and not wanting to hear him defend her. She smoothed her kimono, glancing down at him. "Kenshin..."

She wasn't sure what to say to him. After everything she had done-wait, she hadn't done anything. As he said, she hadn't done anything wrong. But still, she couldn't help but soften and feel terrible about the situation when she saw his iris. His eyes were clearly full of hurt and yet, he was wearing a smile on his face. "Don't make rash decisions," she finally whispered.

He watched her leave, suddenly feeling something go ablaze in his stomach again. He felt his eyes narrow against his own will and his hands tightly clenching the fabric of his hakamas. He heard an aggressive-sounding voice in the very back of his mind.

_'Why are you saying sorry to her? She should be the one apologising!'_

He had heard the voice in his mind, yet he looked around the room. When he was thoroughly convinced that it was truly in his mind, he connected the dots and realised where his sudden anger was coming from. "You are the one who has flitted in and out of my mind. You are the one who has been trying to take control of my emotions," he said remembering feeling the same way when he had spoken so harshly to Kaoru.

_'You did nothing wrong. She is the one who did not believe you could survive.'_

"I was gone for three years, I was. Anything could have happened."

The voice scoffed, sounding like it had a smirk plastered on its face. _'Something happening to us? The legendary Battousai?'_

In that moment, he had connected the last dot and realised that the Battousai had merged with him. Never before had he actually snapped at someone when he was himself. He grabbed his sword and quickly unsheathed it, anxiously searching for his reflection. What he saw made his blood run cold and the voice make a clucking sound.

No wonder everyone was taken aback by his appearance. His eyes were a cross between his amethyst and Battousai's gold.

He dropped the sword as if the hilt was flaming hot, breathing heavily. The voice began speaking again.

_'Did not believe me, did you?'_

he was too shocked to think of anything. How could the Battousai have taken over? Was he that emotionally vulnerable?

Footsteps were reaching his ears and finally the doorway. Megumi was standing in the doorway, carrying a candle. "Sir Ken, are you alright?"

"...Yes. I am perfectly fine, Miss Megumi."

* * *

Yoko mechanically stirred sugar into her tea. She stared straight ahead, not thinking about anything in particular. She had the daily paper in front of her, but she made no intention of reading it at that moment. She sighed before abandoning the table and getting up to walk around.

As she walked around, she glanced at the bare beige walls. She hadn't exactly gotten around to decorating her house what with her waitressing duties. She wandered around her house until she was standing before a small table in the drawing room. She glanced down at a small, framed picture of a young man who was most likely in his early twenties.

The man had dark hair, twinkling hazel eyes and a good natured smile. She reached out to take the picture. She slowly outlined the man's features, starting with the small crinkles near his eyes that were etched on his face from his constant smiling. She felt her lower lip tremble before completely collapsing into tears. "Why did you leave me, Ren? You said you would always be here!"

She sank to the floor, hugging the picture to her chest. The picture was literally the only thing she had left of him. It was the only reminder of her past life.

She held the picture closer to her, hoping that if Ren's picture was closer to her, it would dull the pain. This pain started when she saw Kenshin and talked to him at the restaurant. Seeing Kenshin in his predicament had opened up all the old wounds that she had worked so hard to put behind her.

After a moment, she slowly got up, still clutching the picture. She made her way to her room where she sat on the edge of her futon. She placed the picture on the very left corner of her pillow. She frowned, brushing her tears away. She thought back to when Ren was still in her life. Having the picture be so closer to her was odd. When Ren was in her life, they spent more time arguing than anything else, but at the same time, having the picture near her gave her the feeling that he was close by and that he had never left.

She settled on placing the picture on a small desk by the doorway of her room and climbing into her futon. She attempted to clear her mind before falling asleep. A couple minutes later, she sighed, realising her attempts were fruitless. She turned to her side, making sure she could see the picture.

"Kenshin-san, if you do decide to leave Tokyo, do not leave forever as Ren did."

She knew the circumstances weren't the same, but she couldn't help but see some similarities in Kenshin's and Ren's situations.

She closed her eyes slowly, drifting off to sleep, hoping the next day would not be a long and rather painful trip down memory lane.

* * *

**I hope this somewhat makes up for not updating. And if it doesn't, guess who's already working on getting chapter seven up? :) read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome. **


	7. All I Want

**Oh my word. I have spent so much time with this chapter. And it was purely revising and editing that took up so much time. I originally had this chapter being about 2,000+ words. And the. It ended up being about 5,000+ words. Well. Hope this is compensation for me being a terrible updater!**

**Thanks to Jaded Holliwood, fanficnewbiee, loveless an the living fantasy, skenshingumi, KoopaTroopa2, Saki-Hime and oldie disk224 for reviewing the last chapter! **

**Thanks to everyone who has read, alerted and favourited! I'm thankful for your support!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I only own this plot and my OCs.**

* * *

The moment Yahiko's eyes sprang open, he dashed to Kenshin's room. He muttered incoherent apologies when he bumped into people. He dashed toward the end of the hall. He reached out and pulled on the door as hard as he could, nearly breaking it in the process. He rushed in, searching for the wanderer.

Sanosuke, hearing the commotion, slowly made his way over to Kenshin's room. He stopped at the door frame in utter shock. His eyes swept over the bare room and the young man, who was in hysterics, standing in the centre of it. "He didn't," he said softly.

Yahiko was close to tears. He anxiously searched every corner of the room, hoping Kenshin was playing a joke on them by hiding. "He's gone!" he shouted.

At the sound of Yahiko's screams, a sleep deprived Kaoru stumbled into the room. She tossed her braid over her shoulder and yawned. She blinked at the two men, shocked to see such a sullen and grim look on their faces so early in the morning. "Yahiko, what's wrong? Why are you..ahhh…screaming so early in the morning?"

The watery look on his face was replaced with pure anger and loathing. His eyes flashed murderous-ly, his mouth forming a thin line. "You and your goddamn boyfriend are what's wrong," his hissed before pushed his way out of the room.

Kaoru was very taken aback when Yahiko pushed her aside that she didn't even notice the language he used with her. She turned to Sanosuke, whose face was unreadable. She directed her gaze back to the room. She peered inside and saw a futon with the blankets folded nicely. There was nothing else in the room. Her hand flew to her mouth when she realised why Yahiko was upset. "Kenshin…left?"

Sanosuke stared ahead, his eyes wide open and he was unable to speak. He leaned back against the door frame, making sure this was not a nightmare.

Kaoru shut her eyes when Sanosuke didn't answer her. She shook her head furiously, whipping the air with her braid. She backed out of the room before her tears threatened to spill out. She sank to her knees when she backed into a wall. She hugged her knees to her chest, finally letting the tears fall.

_'What have I done to you, Kenshin?'_

* * *

Yoko was up bright and early that morning. She leapt out of bed and busied herself with getting ready for work. She quickly ran a comb through her short, choppy brown hair. She could see the picture of Ren sitting on her futon out of the corner of her eye.

She felt much better this morning than she did the night before. She smiled warmly at the picture, taking it with her into the drawing-room. She put it back in its place on the mall tab. She pressed a kiss on her fingers and tapped the picture with it.

"I'm off to work, Ren!" she said happily.

She grabbed a handful of biscuits and dashed out of the door. She held her hand out, munching on the biscuits. She looked around at her surroundings. Things were going better than they did the day before. She continued to eat her biscuits on her way to work. When she was done, she brushed the crumbs off her hands and picked up her pace.

She stood in front of the restaurant, hastily finger-combing her wind-blown hair and straightening her uniform. She pushed the door open and was immediately shoved into the kitchen.

Her boss, a short and balding man, tossed her an apron. He turned around, barking an order to a pair of waitresses. He glanced at Yoko with tired eyes. "Onizuka. Please do not lose your focus like you did yesterday. We cannot afford another day of complaining customers."

She shrunk a little, embarrassed that she had let her past interfere with her work. She offered a small smile and grabbed her small notepad. "No worries, Kuma-san. It will not happen again."

He sighed in relief, backing out of the kitchen. "Or else it will be your job," he said sternly.

Yoko grimly nodded, indicating that his conditions were clear. He slipped out of the kitchen, presumably to return to his office. She took a deep breath, blowing out all of the air in her lungs, blowing her hair out of her eyes in the process. She looked down at her notepad and flipped to the last page she used. She stared at the lack of orders on the page and sighed, slipping her pencil in between the pages. She stepped out of the kitchen, mentally cringing at the number of people in the restaurant.

"People really enjoy our tea…"

* * *

Megumi had also woken up bright and early and she was on her way to the dojo. She wanted to bet there for Kenshin. As she walked, she thought of what had happened the night before.

She nearly stopped walking when she remembered seeing his shimmery iris. Her blood ran cold when she began thinking of the full outcome of the battousai merging with Kenshin. She clasped her hands tightly, her eyes widening slightly. She was afraid. Afraid of what about become of Kenshin now. Anyone who passed her would have thought she was paralyzed with fear. Her face showed fear clearly. Her mouth was slightly agape in her shock. Suddenly, she clamped her mouth shut and dropped her hands by her sides, trying to get a hold of herself.

She was jumping ahead of time and had imagined the worst case scenario. Remembering the Battousai's bloody past and Kenshin's tendency to always have his sword with him, Megumi assumed the worst. That the battousai would try to take full control and go on a killing spree.

_'Kenshin has self-control. He can handle himself,'_ Megumi told herself over and over as she walked. As much as she kept reassuring herself, she couldn't deny that it only made her move faster.

* * *

"For the billionth time!" shouted Yahiko. "Kenshin. Is. Not. Freaking. Here. Sanosuke."

The two men had spent their morning looking for the said rurouni, but their attempts so far had been fruitless. Yahiko had been muttering to himself for most of the morning, blaming various people for Kenshin's predicament starting with Kaoru and ending with the government.

Sanosuke had tried to act as the voice of reason again. He had known that upon Kenshin's arrival and finding out about Arata, both Megumi and Yahiko would both be againt Kaoru. No questions asked. They had been against Kaoru since Arata had "replaced" Kenshin, but Yahiko had somewhat understood for a while. In Sanosuke's opinion. When Arata was first introduced, the younger man had refused to speak to Kaoru for three months, only referring to her as ugly, but slowly, he had, in a way, warmed up to the idea of another guy to bond with. Or rather, he gave up on shooting daggers at Kaoru when she was with Arata.

Sanosuke watched Yahiko search for Kenshin like a mad man, thinking to himself.

_'Kenshin was more hurt by Kaoru than we thought.'_

Kenshin had never been one to run from a problem. Not even one that involved violence. He usually found a way around it. Sanosuke would have never guessed that Kenshin would have left Tokyo because of something Kaoru had done. He loved her too much. He had always risked his life for her. Simply running away did not sound like him at all. Kenshin would always try to find a way to make things work.

"Yahiko," said Sanosuke slowly. "Kenshin might not have left."

Yahiko immediately stopped what he was doing to stare open-mouthed at Sanosuke, wondering if he had finally gone mad. When he found his voice and Sanosuke still hadn't said anything, Yahiko nearly lost what little patience he had left.

"Of course he left!" shouted Yahiko. "Kaoru was Kenshin's world. Without Kaoru, be honest, what is he supposed to do here? In downtown Tokyo."

"I do not know," answered Sanosuke truthfully. "But we know Kenshin. Would he really run from something like this?"

"No, but-"

"But nothing," Sanosuke said firmly. "Kenshin did not leave us."

Yahiko looked up at the older man as he began to turn away and most likely turn to go back to the dojo. He found himself trotting behind him, wishing he could believe him as easily as he could follow him back to the dojo.

* * *

Kaoru was sitting on the edge of her futon since she had found out what had happened. She stared at the floor in front of her feet, her eyes wide open. Her lips were pressed together, forming a thin line. Her hands gripped the edge of her futon until her knuckles were ghostly white.

She didn't understand. It didn't seem like Kenshin was going to leave. Not after the talk they had the night before. To be honest, it seemed like they were on slightly better terms than before. He insisted that he wasn't mad at her, but now she wasn't so sure. If Kenshin had seriously left because of this…

She knit her eyebrows together, deep in concentration. Kenshin had left. If Kenshin had left because of this, then what did that say about him? She didn't want to think such thoughts about the man who put his own life on the line for her and had loved her more than he loved himself, but when she mentally pointed it out, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Kenshin leaving because of this didn't show that he was a mature grown-up about the situation. He was running away from it instead of facing it. Like a child.

She let out a soft scream, trying to stop the thoughts from flooding her mind. She didn't want her image of him to be ruined. She still respected him and she still had a special place in her heart for him. It just wasn't the place where he was before he left to help the government. She exhaled slowly, looking down at her clasped fingers. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her forehead, wanting everything to go back the way it was before any of this drama happened.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a pair of hands settle on her waist. She jerked her head behind her to see who had nearly given her a heart attack. She sighed and tossed her head back when she saw the familiar raven-haired man. "Arata, don't do that!" she exclaimed after he placed a kiss on her cheek.

He smiled at her, his fingers brushing stray hairs out of her face. He gazed into her eyes, his smile growing wider. "Kaoru, what's a relationship without a few surprises?"

His eyes widened at her raised eyebrows. He waved his hands, trying to take back what he had said. "T-T-That's n-not what I meant!" he stuttered. "I meant a good-natured surprise."

She smiled, sitting up. "I know what you meant." She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. She stared ahead, wanting to escape her troubles. The least she could do now was confide in someone who wasn't already mad at her. "Remember Kenshin? You met him two or three days ago."

She began to relax when she felt his fingers weave through her hair, pulling it out of its braid. "Ah, the man with the vibrant red hair? Yes, I remember him. He seems like a very nice man."

"Yeah," she said softly, remembering the number of times he had dropped what he was doing to save her. "He's not here anymore."

"Good god! He died?"

"Eh? No! I mean, he's back to wandering. I told you about his past as a wanderer, right? Well, he's back to those days," she finished.

He stayed silent. They were entering a rather sensitive territory. Anything he said could be taken the wrong way. Especially since Kenshin was the last man she had seen before him. He finger combed her hair for a minute, searching for the right words.

"How do you feel about that?"

She raised her head off of his shoulder, her sapphire orbs locking with his hazel orbs. She wasn't expecting him to ask her something like that. She had expected him to say something that indicated he was almost glad Kenshin had left. What man wanted their woman's ex around her? She didn't know how to respond to his question. She dropped her gaze to her lap, searching for how she truly felt about the situation. "I-I don't know how I feel."

* * *

Kenshin had not been able to sleep through the night. His new appearance haunted him. The reflection of his iris on the sword was permanently burned into his mind. The shimmery iris taunted him every time he closed his eyes. He could almost hear the Battousai speaking in his mind. It was driving him mad.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he folded up his blankets in a neat little pile and quietly slipped out of the dojo. Judging from the light coloured sky with streaks of pink mingling with yellow, he assumed it was pretty early. His hand hovered over his sheathed sword-a habit he had developed soon after getting it back. He touched it lightly, just to make sure. He nodded to himself and began to wander around downtown Tokyo. He hadn't wandered for his own pleasure since before he met Kaoru. He had to admit he missed it.

He stopped to take in the scene around him, relieved that the calm atmosphere was taking away a bit of the tension that the Battousai had created. He took a deep breath, looking at the sun that peeked out from behind the clouds. "The Battousai is making me feel jumpy; that it is," he said softly.

He continued walking until he found himself in the marketplace. He really didn't have any desire to go back to the dojo where he would be reminded of the Battousai. He could avoid going to the dojo for a bit longer. He looked to his left and right, appreciating all the little shops and restaurants. It made him think back to his decision of leaving Tokyo. He stopped for a moment. He had decided on leaving because there was nothing for him in Tokyo anymore. He had stayed behind for Kaoru and now that she was gone, he thought he should do the same. He wasn't as sure now. He liked having a place to stay every night. He liked the people he was surrounded by. He really didn't want to leave them.

"Should I stay?" he asked the air.

He remembered what happened yesterday when he indirectly asked someone what they thought.

"Miss Yoko," he said, letting her name roll off of his lips.

_'She was the one who did not directly tell me what to do; she was. Instead, she asked a question, forcing me to really think about my decision. And now I am not sure what to do.'_

He had to admit, he was leaning more toward staying now that he thought of leaving his friends again, but that didn't seem like a good enough reason to him.

Pushing all of his thoughts aside, he kept walking until he found himself in front of a restaurant. He could smell a delicious aroma tickling his nose. It smelled like sugar and tea leaves. He smiled to himself. He hadn't had good cup of tea in a long time. He walked in, greeted by a couple of people who remembered him before his job with the government.

"How may I-Kenshin-san?"

He turned at the sound of someone calling him. He smiled when he saw Yoko standing before him with a notepad. "Miss Yoko, it's very nice to see you again; that it is."

Yoko froze for a minute when she saw his eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest, suddenly feeling scared. Her gaze fell on the smile on his face. She was comforted slightly, remembering how he had saved her from assault only two days ago. She gave him a small smile before looking over her shoulder, searching for Kuma-san. When she saw that he was not in sight, she motioned at one of the other waitresses, silently asking her to cover for her. When the other waitress nodded, Yoko turned back to Kenshin, her hazel eyes sparkling lightly. "Why don't we sit down for a cup of tea?" she asked politely.

He nodded, smiling back. He picked out the same table they had sat at the day before. When he sat down, he made sure to keep his sword with him. Yoko saw his attachment with his sword and raised an eyebrow. "You are very close to your sword," she commented.

Almost instantly, his fingers curled around the hilt of the sword. "Yes. Yes I am," he replied. He looked up at her and he couldn't help but think that she looked a lot like Suzume, but older.

Her eyes lingered on his fingers on the sword, feeling a bit hesitant to be remembered She mentally shook her head, knowing that Kenshin was not the kind of man wwould perceived as scary or untrustworthy. "I will be back with your tea," she said quickly.

Kenshin nodded, watching her slip into the kitchen. He dropped his gaze down to his lap, starting to wonder to himself.

Was he making the right decision by thinking about staying in Tokyo? Would he really be better off here than he would be on the road?

His friends came to mind just as they always did when he was weighing his options. His eyebrows knit together. He paused for a moment, not thinking about anything. He resumed to thinking about his situation, glad the Battousai was not inferring as it had the night before.

He knew that he had made the decision to leave Tokyo the night before and deep down, he knew that leaving Tokyo would most likely be the best decision for everyone, but he did not wish to part with his friends. His friends had become his family in the time he was there. He didn't think he could part with them now. He already parted with them many times before. He did not wish to do so again.

Before he knew it, Yoko was back with a cup of tea and the sugar pot. She carefully set both down, being mindful that she wasn't the most graceful person ever. "How many teaspoons of sugar?" she asked.

He held his hand up, reaching for the spoon. "There is no need, Miss Yoko," he said with a small smile. "I will add the sugar myself."

She sheepishly handed him the sugar pot as well as the spoon and watched him add the sugar slowly, stirring it each time a new spoonful was added. Her eyes followed the spoon. She was slowly slipping away from the world around her and into her thoughts.

She remembered how Ren would always ask to add the sugar himself. Even when she insisted that he was tired and could barely keep his eyes open. He would always add the sugar himself. And after he was done, he would set the spoon down on a saucer and look up at her with a small smile before asking how her day was.

Tears did not make their presence in her eyes, but she felt the nostalgia hit her relatively hard. It made her lose her focus on the world around her. She blinked a couple of times when she heard her name.

"Miss Yoko, are you feeling well?" asked Kenshin, looking worried.

She gave him a sad smile, gazing at the floral design that was printed on the cup of tea. "I am not sure," she confessed. "I have been thinking lately...and I have not thought this hard in the past."

He sipped his tea slowly, giving her his undivided attention as she told him of her problem. "Thinking about what?" he asked.

The question, she had to admit, caught her off guard. She didn't expect him to take much interest in her problem or even want to know why she had a problem. The was coming from a man she didn't know very well, but she knew enough to make the decision that she trusted him enough to tell him the details. If he saved her from assault, then he couldn't be a bad person, right?

"Thinking…about someone I knew. Someone I loved," she whispered.

He gazed into her watery hazel eyes, slightly shocked. He never liked it when women cried. He wanted to change the subject, but at the same time, he knew that talking about it would give her some closure. "It was someone you were involved with?"

Her eyes grew wide. She was genuinely shocked. "Heavens no!" she exclaimed. Memories flooded into her mind. The idea of having a lover back when Ren was still in her life was absurd. Even laughable. It began to bring tears to her eyes. She laughed lightly, brushing her tears away with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she said shakily. "I'm not very used to telling people-"

"Then you needn't tell me if you do not wish to; that you do not," he said firmly.

Her eyes fell on his shimmery iris, but unlike before, she felt a sense of security. She felt herself begin to trust Kenshin a little more than she did before. She shook her head, taking a deep breath. She attempted to calm her racing heart before she spoke. "This person," she started. She coughed lightly, trying to get her voice above a whisper. She shut her eyes for a moment before continuing. "This person…I lost them. Back during the Tokugawa period."

Upon hearing the name of the period, his eyes widened. His blood ran cold and his spine tingled. He often had nightmares about his past as a manslayer. The thought of his purposes during the said period horrified him.

'_Ah? The Tokugawa period?'_

He could now hear the Battousai in the back of his mind. It was taunting him. Ridiculing him. He attempted to push it out of his mind, doing his best to look attentive.

He nodded slightly, telling her to go on. She looked down at the table, her vision becoming blurry. "This person," she said again, this time with tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She didn't make an attempt to wipe them away like she did earlier. She bit her lip, debating whether she could go on.

He saw her tears and knew she wasn't ready to talk about her inner turmoil. He rose slowly to sit beside her. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, making her cry harder. He turned her toward him, gently wiping her tears away with his thumb. He gave her a small smile. "You needn't tell me if you do not wish to," he repeated.

She shook her head, feeling light-headed from crying. She wanted to continue. She wanted let out her pent-up feelings. She wanted someone to talk to. "It was my older brother, Ren," she whispered.

_'Oh? Her older brother? And she lost him during the Tokugawa period? What a coincidence. The blade at your waist might have tasted his blood.' _

The Battousai had come back and had picked up where it left off, making spine-chilling comments about the situation Kenshin was in. Kenshin mentally panicked, not wanting Yoko to hear what was going on in his mind. He clamped his mouth shut, trying to keep himself and the Battousai under control.

"It's not a definite loss," continued Yoko. "But his body…i-it was never recovered. No one knows what happened to him."

Kenshin stopped her here. He looked her in the eyes, effectively silencing her. "Miss Yoko, that is enough. Too much at one time is not good. I am glad that you are choosing to tell someone about it; that I am. But I do not wish for you to go mad nor do I wish for you to let this consume your life."

She hastily wiped her tears, feeling ashamed that she was once again, crying and losing herself in the past. She rose quickly, grabbing her notepad out of her apron. She wiped her eyes with her forearm under his gaze. She faked a smile, breathing in and out. "I should be getting back to work!" she said in what she hoped was a cheery voice.

He looked at her, his face unreadable. "Focus on your work today. I shall be back tomorrow, I shall."

Before she could say anything, he made sure he had his sword with him and swiftly walked out. She stared in the direction he had walked away until she realised the waitress that had covered for her was standing beside her.

"Yoko, that man...he comes here often, no?" she asked. "He seems…different."

She continued to stare at the entrance, as if she was expecting him to walk in again. "H-he's just…not sure what he will do about his own predicament," she finished, remembering how she had advised him the day before. "I would have asked if he decided to stay if he did not make sure to tell me himself. That is good. He is going to face and hopefully solve his predicament. Unlike I…I can never resolve mine."

The waitress glanced at Yoko, almost worried for her sanity. She tugged on Yoko's sleeve, pulling her toward a table. "Come, Yoko. Kuma-san will have our heads if we fall behind today."

* * *

Kenshin was making his way back to the dojo when the Battousai began talking to him again.

_'You are going to see her tomorrow? I thought you were leaving and resuming your wandering.' _

Kenshin took note of how the Battousai sounded genuinely surprised. Kenshin briskly walked ahead. "Talking to Miss Yoko…it made me realise that life is too precious. Miss Yoko is living without her older brother, whom she loved very much. I do not wish to part with my friends and never see them again because of this incident. I have already left Tomoe forever. I do not wish to lose the only family I have left."

He didn't know whether he was making the right decision by staying in Tokyo. But he meant what he had said about not wanting to part with his friends. He did not want to feel the pain that he had lost when he had lost Tomoe.

The Battousai heard the name of his love roll off of Kenshin's lips and detested it. It made him grow even more furious with him. The Battousai decided to toss names around as well. Just to ensure that Kenshin would not casually toss Tomoe's name around.

'_You are going to see Kurosawa-san again,'_ said the Battousai gleefully. _'And I will be there to witness your demise.'_

"There will not be any demise. I intend to keep a level head; that I do."

Kenshin didn't feel as confident as his words made him seem. To be honest, he didn't know if he could control himself the next time he saw the man who had replaced him in Kaoru's heart. He shook his head, focusing on the path ahead. He would deal with things little by little, just as he had told Yoko to. He would attempt to get his life back in order and become re-accustomed to being at the dojo before facing Arata.

The walk back to the dojo was a lot less relaxing than the walk from the dojo. By the time he had made it back, he was already irritated with the Battousai's occasional snide comments about every single trouble in his life. He was ready to collapse into his futon and escape to perhaps his only haven-sleep.

He stumbled through the entrance of the dojo, slowly making his way toward his room at the end of the hall when two voices echoed throughout the dojo. A man's voice and a woman's voice. His blood ran cold and a chill went down his spine. His eyes widened and he was sure he knew who the voices belonged to. He peered around the door frame and saw the shadow of Kaoru and Arata's figures slowly drawing closer to each other.

Before he witnessed anything happening and ignoring the Battousai completely, he ran as fast as he could to his room and crashed into his futon. He yanked the blankets over his head. He never thought that he would regret the moment a new image replaced the image of his shimmery iris.

* * *

**I have already started working on chapter eight so I hope that will be finished and be up soon! Unless school becomes a bitch again, which it probably might. *sigh* Read and review! Constructive criticism is always welcome. Hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving and Black Friday! **


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